Case Study: PART B

We are studying the 4 principles in action based on a video that I recently published with the New York Post about a day in the life of Louis Mendes, a 79-year-old portrait/street photographer in NYC.

So far, we’ve seen how the first three principles were followed in the production of this piece. Let’s move on to the next.

Focus on humanity

I never asked Louis to do or say anything outside of his persona. I also asked him to go about his day as if I weren’t there. On camera, we get a glimpse of the life of a person we know has had a rough but creative journey. We see him walking under the Manhattan summer heat waiting for customers to inquire about his flashy camera and, hopefully, ask for a photograph. And he does this every single day! I’m not showing a success story; I’m showing a genuine plight. People connect emotionally with this character because, essentially, we all have passions, dreams, challenges, and routines.

Let’s talk about clickability and shareability.

Clickability

“This ‘Street Corner’ Photographer is Capturing NYC Portraits in One Shot” is the title that I finally settled on when discussing this with the New York Post team.

Notice “street corner” is quoted, making the viewer wonder whether or not we’re talking about an actual street photographer or not. The we mention “NYC” in the title, which makes the story universally appealing; everyone knows where New York City is.

People will be intrigued enough to click. And that’s your immediate goal.

Your second goal is…

Shareability

This is all about sitting back and seeing the product of your work take effect. Sure, you need a platform that makes sharing your content easy, and YouTube (or Facebook) makes that quite simple. One click and the viewer has shared your video.

In this case, my subject had been in the public eye for 40 years! If you go through the comments on the Facebook post, you’ll see that many of the shares and comments come from people who have actually met him in person. That establishes a direct and solid relationship with the subject. Video shared.

I’ve got an extra tip for you. A boost that can help your video be more appealing and shareable. And it’s as “simple” as music.